Volume Three: Battle of the Tungus Base

Chapter 77: A Fresh Start to the New Semester

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

As the scorching summer was coming to an end, the morning and evening breeze began to carry a hint of coolness. Twin City welcomed the long-awaited autumn and a new batch of college students. Aston University’s annual enrollment season had begun again, and young scholars from all over the federation flocked to Twin City, preparing to embark on this crucial period of their lives.

The afternoon lab had just ended, and Wu Chenghe hurried back to the dormitory, packing his lunch box to visit Dean Mu in the teacher’s dormitory. After the end of the summer vacation, he smoothly advanced to the second year. Since returning students started classes two weeks earlier than new students, he had been attending classes for half a month already.

The snacks in his lunch box were made by Jin Xuan upon his request yesterday. Ever since Mu got pregnant, his appetite had become particularly capricious. He started craving sweets at first, but recently, he switched to craving spicy foods, especially loving spicy duck necks and pickled chicken feet, which was downright insane.

To satisfy the queen’s abnormal appetite, Wu Chenghe had to carefully study various recipes and buy a large batch of ingredients online to experiment with. It turned out that even the most skilled person had weaknesses, and his weakness was cooking. Fed up with Mu’s demands, he had to give up and send the ingredients to Jin Xuan.

Jin Xuan’s cooking skills were top-notch, and he quickly made a pot of delicious and spicy chicken wings. When Wu Chenghe received the lunch box from him in the morning, he was so touched that he almost cried—men who could cook were freaking angels, even if they wore tattered pants and shoes, they were still holey angels!

Busy with data analysis at NTU, Jin Xuan handed him the bags and earnestly advised, “The one on top is for your Dean, and the one below is for you. Don’t mix them up, or I’ll be very disappointed.”

“Huh? I also have one?” Wu Chenghe opened the two boxes and saw one was spicy and the other was savory. He immediately understood and scolded with a blush, “Get lost!”

In a rush, Jin Xuan rubbed his hair and obediently left.

After marking their territory, their relationship entered a sweet and stable period. It allowed them to understand each other better, often without needing to speak; a glance or a simple gesture was enough to know what the other wanted. It was a wonderful feeling, somewhat like having a telepathic connection but deeper and more profound.

Because of their marking, they developed a strong aversion towards other compatible sentinels and guides. Wu Chenghe wouldn’t emit pheromones towards other sentinels, and Jin Xuan wouldn’t respond to advances from other guides. They only released pheromones naturally and ignited bonding heat when facing each other and being in sync spiritually, plunging into an irresistible wave of emotions.

Under Wu Chenghe’s soothing, Jin Xuan’s mania disorder was completely cured. He no longer needed regular injections of stabilizers. Whenever there was a hint of mania, Wu Chenghe would invade his consciousness with mental tendrils and extinguish those volatile sparks. And Wu Chenghe’s ever-ready doctor aura, due to frequently helping Jin Xuan, gained immense satisfaction. He was in a constant state of “I’m saving the world” confidence, appearing especially energetic and spirited.

In summary, both of them benefited greatly from frequent “bonding sessions.”

So, even though Wu Chenghe felt that Jin Xuan’s parting words contained some kind of wicked tease, he obediently kept the savory for himself and gave the spicy to the queen.

Mu had been pregnant for more than three months now, and like all males, his body had become very weak after the pregnancy. Whether it was because of his age or not, his early pregnancy symptoms had persisted from over forty days until now. His belly had started to show, and he still vomited incessantly every day. Fortunately, he could eat after vomiting, avoiding malnutrition.

In the teacher’s dormitory, Mu opened the lunch box and his eyes lit up. “Oh, this is made by Jin Xuan, right?”

“I made it,” Wu Chenghe said proudly as he juiced fruits on the countertop. “I was enlightened by a deity yesterday!”

“You were indeed enlightened, but not by a deity, just plain enlightened,” Mu retorted cynically. He didn’t believe Wu Chenghe could make such a thing. After mocking him, he sat down to devour the spicy chicken wings, tears streaming down his face from the heat. He couldn’t bear to stop eating even though he was crying, “Has Jin Xuan been back from Gabriel for several days now? How’s the investigation going there? Has the Black Pearl case been concluded?”

Three months ago, he had been publicly announced to be pregnant at the Gabriel Military Harbor. Hobart immediately stripped him of his “special advisor” title and sent him back to Planet Dunkirk in trepidation. Since Wu Chenghe had already fallen out with Hannibal and had fallen behind in his studies, he was brought back too. Only Jin Xuan, as an NTU information agent, had to continue investigating the Black Pearl case. In the past three months, he had been sent on two short missions to Gabriel, with the latest one returning just the day before yesterday.

“Well, it’s said that the suspicion of the First Army has been cleared. It’s confirmed that the mastermind behind that mercenary group is within the jurisdiction of the Second Army,” Wu Chenghe said. “General Lancer even had a fallout with Hannibal over this because Hannibal’s agents found out that many network nodes of the First Army had been infiltrated by hackers, and it was done through the Second Army. So, they argued fiercely during several investigation meetings. Hannibal didn’t give face to his father-in-law this time. I heard that after the case was closed, he even submitted a complaint to the military’s internal investigation department, accusing Lancer of overstepping his authority or something. It’s quite complicated.”

“Now, is it confirmed that those mercenaries are Lancer’s men?” Mu asked.

“I’m not sure, but they’re at least from the Second Army. I don’t know if Lancer is aware of it,” Wu Chenghe said, handing him the freshly squeezed juice and sitting opposite him. After hesitating for a moment, he couldn’t help but ask, “Dean, what exactly do those people want to take away?”

“What’s the matter? Trying to gather intelligence?” Mu gave him a glare, but unfortunately, he was biting on a chicken wing tip, which diminished his intimidation.

Wu Chenghe chuckled, “I’m just curious. Is that batch of drugs related to the ‘Free Guide Organization’?”

“Curiosity killed the cat. The more you know, the faster you die!” Mu retorted coldly, paused, then told him anyway, “Yes, it’s related to the organization.” 

Wu Chenghe was his successor, destined to inherit his mantle sooner or later.

Wu Chenghe pressed on, “Is it a guide inhibitor?”

“No,” Mu wiped his fingers with a tissue, saying, “It’s a type of DNA interference agent targeting embryos. After use, it may increase the chances of guide births. However, it’s only the first batch of experimental products and hasn’t undergone human trials yet.”

Wu Chenghe was surprised, “So, if this formulation works, it could increase the number of guides significantly?”

“Yeah,” Mu sighed, “In the past, we provided protection and assistance to free guides, but it’s just treating the symptoms, not the root cause. Only when the number of guides rises to the level from before the massacre can we solve the fundamental problem.”

“The massacre.” This blood-soaked term contained the nightmare of guides, the aborted fetuses, the predecessors imprisoned for life… Wu Chenghe felt inexplicably heavy-hearted. “Just for the sake of seizing this kind of drug, they killed so many people at the Black Pearl Harbor, it’s simply inhumane.”

“The military desires guides more than anyone else,” Mu said, “Guides can double the lifespan of soldiers and greatly enhance their combat effectiveness. With enough guides, their influence is essentially expanded invisibly.”

Wu Chenghe pondered, “Are you saying that those with such ambitions aren’t limited to Hannibal?”

“Anyone who holds immense power for too long will develop such ambitions,” Mu said solemnly, “Lancer’s ambitions have existed for a long time. Otherwise, why would he marry his daughter to Hannibal and help him ascend to the position of General? Unfortunately, he miscalculated and instead of restraining Hannibal, he has been overshadowed by him. This time, Hannibal challenged him over the Black Pearl incident, he should fully understand how ambitious his son-in-law really is.”

Wu Chenghe asked, “Did Lancer really allow infiltration into the First Army? This kind of thing is a big taboo in the military. Hannibal holds the same military rank as him, and even a higher position, so going against him would lead to a military court.”

“It’s hard to say,” Mu shook his head. “Either he’s indeed too complacent, or it’s Hannibal deliberately turning a blind eye. And there’s another possibility… the Cabinet wants them to turn against each other.” Pointing at the chicken wings, he continued, “Your boyfriend is best at these kinds of things. You can ask him if his brother instructed him to frame and provoke conflicts within the Voyager Army. Lancer and Hannibal falling out would benefit the President the most—he finally has a legitimate reason to investigate them thoroughly and might even replace several key positions.”

Wu Chenghe also thought of this point, but it was classified information, and knowing it didn’t seem to benefit him in any way. “Whatever they do, as long as they can curb Hannibal’s expansion of power… By the way, telling me all this, isn’t it like ‘cutting the throat’? Killing to keep secrets?”

“You’re so foolish, not worth my effort to kill,” Mu shook his head. “It’s been three months, and your mental abilities haven’t improved much. I’ve been teaching you during the day, but I bet you’ve given it all back to Jin Xuan at night. Useless.”

Wu Chenghe felt embarrassed, blushing. “I’ve been trying hard, okay! What does this have to do with Jin Xuan? Dean, are you jealous of us? Otherwise, find yourself a boyfriend too. At least when giving birth, a doctor can call relatives to hold the baby.”

“You’re getting bolder, daring to mock me!” Someone without a boyfriend got angry and pounced over, hit his head. 

Wu Chenghe covered his head and scurried away, “Ah, don’t hurt the fetus. Dean, mind your manners, the child in your belly is watching you!”

Mu stopped after a couple of hits, saying, “I won’t waste my energy on a fool like you. Go make yourself some nutrition supplements to eat, and after eating, continue practicing your mental abilities. I’ve never seen someone as dumb as you. You’re not going back to the dormitory today. Stay here and practice all night!”

Seeing them being affectionate made him irritated! Wu Chenghe knew he was a “saying one thing but meaning another” kind of man, so he didn’t mind and smiled, “No, I’m going to the port to pick up my friend. My good friend from Gabriel is arriving in Twin City tonight, and I’m accompanying him to report to the hospital tomorrow. So, I won’t be visiting you.”

“Oh? Your friend?” Mu thought for a moment and then realized, “Is it that Chen Miaomiao? He’s the only one from the Voyager Army committee this year.”

“Yeah, it was him.” 

Mu recalled, angrily, “Speaking of which makes me furious!” Thinking of Chen Miaomiao’s father, Mu couldn’t help but express his anger, “It’s all because of this little busybody, tricking his father into interrogating me, making the whole world know that I was pregnant, unforgivable! Now that he’s in my hands, let’s see how I deal with him!”

Wu Chenghe understood his grudge-holding nature very well and felt sorry for Chen Miaomiao. He smiled apologetically, “Ignorance is forgivable. Besides, he did it for me. Please, forgive him this time for my sake. Ultimately, this is all because of Hannibal.” Seeing his still stern expression, he added, “He is the heir to Chen’s Sign of Good Fortune. I’ll have him deliver delicious food to you for free in the future. Please, forgive him.”

Mu was as ruthless as winter towards anyone who offended him. But considering the nutritional needs of the baby in his stomach and the fact that the chefs from Chen’s Sign of Good Fortune were top-notch, he reluctantly agreed, “Let’s see when it arrives.”

Relieved to hear Mu’s acceptance, Wu Chenghe said, “Well then, I’ll take my leave. Take care of yourself, leave the work to the Vice Dean, don’t overexert yourself.”

“All busybodies!” Mu waved his hand, urging him to leave, “Birds of a feather flock together.”

Wu Chenghe drove Mu’s flying saucer to the Twin City Port to pick up Chen Miaomiao. He waited for half an hour before hearing the announcement that the shuttle he was on had landed, and he hurried to the exit to pick him up. Chen Miaomiao’s parents had returned to Seiling Military Harbor after the joint exam, and he didn’t know who brought him to the Twin City.

Passengers trickled out in groups of three or four. Soon, Wu Chenghe saw Chen Miaomiao’s familiar figure. Just as he was about to call out to him, he suddenly saw a tall, blond young man appear behind him, dragging two large suitcases.

“Marlow?” Wu Chenghe was surprised. He didn’t expect the two of them to be traveling together. Wasn’t Chen Miaomiao avoiding Marlow?

As soon as Chen Miaomiao saw Wu Chenghe at the arrival gate, he happily dashed over, “Senior! Senior, you’ve come to pick me up!”

Wu Chenghe was almost knocked over by him. The last time they met at Gabriel First Hospital, Chen Zhen brought him to see Dean Mu. They had met once before. After three months, this little guy seemed to have grown stronger. His arms were thicker.

Damn, did he take some kind of miracle drug? Wu Chenghe wondered as he observed him. Chen Miaomiao noticed his confusion and flexed his biceps, saying, “What do you think? I’ve been exercising all summer, I’m pretty strong, right?”

Actually, he was just slightly stronger than before, far from being “strong.” Wu Chenghe’s mouth twitched, “Are you trying to be a tough guy now?”

“What?” Chen Miaomiao rolled his eyes at him, “If you fall behind, you’ll get beaten. It’s a lesson learned the hard way. I don’t want to endure the combination of Tomboys and Poker-Faced Emperor again. I want to man up! But alas, you wouldn’t understand my suffering since the Commander never punishes you.”

Wu Chenghe’s eye twitched. You didn’t see him when he was punishing me…

“Charlie,” Marlow greeted Wu Chenghe as he dragged Chen Miaomiao’s and his own luggage, “Did you have a good summer?”

“It was okay,” Wu Chenghe smiled. When Marlow had asked him if he wanted to go home during the summer break, he had refused, citing work at the school. He didn’t really hold any grudge against Marlow, but things with Hannibal had soured, and their relationship would inevitably drift apart. He said, “Let’s head back to school. It’s getting late.”

Marlow looked somewhat gloomy, hesitated to speak, and finally said, “Let’s go.”

The Strategy Academy was close to the port, so Wu Chenghe dropped Marlow off at the dormitory first. When they reached the entrance, Marlow got out of the car. Just as Wu Chenghe was about to leave, Marlow suddenly said, “Charlie, come here for a moment. I have something to ask you.”

Wu Chenghe hesitated for a moment and got out of the car. They stood under a big tree at the entrance of the dormitory. Marlow put his hands in his pockets, and the dappled shadows of the tree left faint shadows on his face. After a long silence, he said, “Charlie, when Dad picked you up last time at Gabriel, did something happen?”

Wu Chenghe pondered for a moment and said, “Someone infiltrated the outer ring and kidnapped me. Later, the President’s people arrived in time…”

“How did you end up in the outer ring?” Marlow interrupted him, clearly not believing his explanation, “Did Dad take you there?”

Wu Chenghe didn’t want to recall that unforgettable ordeal. He said, “Marlow, these are questions you can ask the Commander. I don’t want to answer your questions.”

Marlow faltered. Wu Chenghe had always addressed Hannibal as “Dad,” but now suddenly referred to him as “Commander,” which was rather strange. Marlow asked in confusion, “Do you guys have something you’re hiding from me? You chose to work at school over going home during the summer, and the atmosphere at home was weird.”

“Maybe it’s because of the Black Pearl case,” Wu Chenghe couldn’t explain anything to him. He evasively said, “Maybe it’s because of General Lancer’s matter. The Commander and Lady Lilith seem to have some disagreements.”

Marlow’s jaw tightened slightly. The atmosphere at home had been strangely oppressive all summer. His father had been staying at the Military Commission, claiming to investigate the Black Pearl case and reform internal management. His mother should have returned to the Mulan Fleet, but she had been making various excuses to stay away. His uncle had come to their house several times for private discussions with her, and they had even had a heated argument once, almost flipping the table.

At first, he thought it was all because of the Black Pearl case and their family’s involvement with his grandfather and uncle. But one day, when his caracal had a quarrel with him and hid in the study cabinet, he accidentally overheard his parents arguing—Lilith was yelling at Hannibal for still caring about his “good son,” saying, “Are you still thinking about your precious son? I’ve given you a choice. If you say the word ‘divorce’ now, I’ll take Marlow and leave immediately!” 

The “good son” she referred to clearly wasn’t him but Wu Chenghe. What had happened in his absence?

“Charlie,” Marlow spoke solemnly, “I’ve never discriminated against you because of your background because I know it’s not your fault. But now because of you, my mom asked for a divorce from my dad, and I can’t just sit by and watch. Losing a family is so painful, and I think you understand that better than I do. Please, tell me, what really happened?”

Wu Chenghe looked at the tall boy in front of him. Marlow inherited Hannibal’s physique, tall and sturdy, and because of his reserved nature, he looked unusually mature. But at this moment, his eyes were filled with anxiety and worry, just like any ordinary seventeen-year-old.

“You can’t change your background. If it were possible, I wouldn’t want to disturb your family,” Wu Chenghe sighed inwardly and said, “But Marlow, the issues between the Commander and Lady Lilith have nothing to do with me. Even if there hadn’t been that accident with me, what was bound to happen would still happen. Some things, as children, we can’t change, like our parents. We can only do our best not to repeat their mistakes.”

That was all he could say. Whether Marlow wanted to listen or how he wanted to interpret it was beyond his consideration. So Wu Chenghe didn’t dwell on it anymore and patted his arm, “Goodbye, I’m going back to the academy.”

As the flying saucer took off, Wu Chenghe saw Marlow still standing at the dormitory entrance through the transparent outer wall, his expression obscure and indistinct.

“What’s wrong with him? Did you tell him something?” Chen Miaomiao also noticed Marlow’s gloominess and nudged Wu Chenghe’s arm.

“Nothing, just some family matters,” Wu Chenghe said, setting the route to automatic driving. Suddenly, he noticed Chen Miaomiao seemed lost in thought, with a worried expression on his face. His heart skipped a beat and he asked, “By the way, why are you with him? Didn’t your family come to see you off?”

“Ah!” Chen Miaomiao was startled by his question and shook a bit. His eyes looked somewhat unnatural, “It’s nothing, just happened to be on the same route. My grandparents had something to deal with, so they asked him to take me along. Hey, don’t look at me like that. Even if he wasn’t here, I could’ve come by myself. Just consider us coincidentally sharing a ride.”

Wu Chenghe didn’t say anything, just looked at him with a “you’ve betrayed our friendship” kind of look. Chen Miaomiao couldn’t withstand his gaze and waved his hand, “Okay, okay, I’ll tell you. It’s all because of your incident last time. My parents beat me up because of it. After the joint exam, I decided to exercise properly, make myself a bit tougher, so I joined a baseball club. The person in charge of that club happened to be a former teammate of Marlow’s youth team. They asked him to come help as a coach for the summer, and that’s how we met.”

“He’s coaching at a club?” Wu Chenghe couldn’t believe it. With Marlow’s arrogance, even a professional team would have to consider hiring him, let alone mixing with a bunch of amateurs?

“He wasn’t going to at first, but…” Chen Miaomiao hesitated for a moment and decided to tell the truth, “Because of the Second Army’s situation at home, Lady Lilith seems to have argued with his Dad several times, and Marlow was getting depressed staying at home all the time. So he came out to vent—our club is full of rookies, and he can just bully us however he likes. Sigh, speaking of which, I was totally crushed by him at the beginning.”

Wu Chenghe could imagine. He sympathetically patted his shoulder, and Chen Miaomiao chuckled, saying, “But I also roasted him badly. Haha, even now, my posts roasting him are still on the first page of the campus forum.”

“How did you end up hanging out with him later?”

“We got to know each other because of the club. We drank together at club gatherings, got drunk, then somehow made peace. My grandparents asked him to bring me to school, and he agreed. I felt too embarrassed to keep roasting him after that.” He sighed and said, “Actually, once you get to know him, he’s not as aloof as he seems. He’s just a bit obsessive-compulsive, being a Virgo and all, too focused on perfection. Plus, with the atmosphere at home… Anyway, if I hadn’t kept roasting him to provoke him, he might have gone crazy by now.”

Once he started talking about Marlow, Chen Miaomiao became lively. He kept talking and talking, almost non-stop until they reached the Medical College. Finally changing the subject, he said, “Hey, what’s that? ‘Welcome to the Tungus Teacher Training Team’… Tungus, isn’t that the guide school?”

 

 

 

 

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